Libraries set to close on Sundays
Community libraries in Walsall are set to be closed on Sundays after take-up fell short of what was hoped for.
Walsall Council’s cabinet is expected to approve plans to stop opening the libraries in Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Darlaston, Willenhall and Streetly and make budget savings of around £40,000 per year.
A report to members, ahead of next Wednesday’s meeting, said the number of library users in the six facilities had been lower than anticipated.
There will be no redundancies as a result, with staff being utilised during the rest of the week while Walsall’s new multi-million pound Central Library in Lichfield Street in the town centre will continue to operate seven days a week.
Back in 2017, the council axed nine of its 16 libraries which resulted in the running costs of the service being slashed from £4.3 million to £2.5 million.
In February this year, the council’s cabinet agreed to find savings of £107,000 from the service budget for 2019/20.
Other measures that have been implemented include reducing book purchasing, subscriptions and the ICT budget.
